Lewis leads Clippers to first victory over NJCAA opponent

November 28, 2025 - Twin Falls, ID

The No. 5 ranked Clippers opened their trip to Twin Falls, Idaho, with a matchup against Colorado Northwestern Community College. CNCC is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Scenic West Athletic Conference. This was the first-ever meeting between SPSCC and CNCC, and it came on night one of the Idaho Central Credit Union Invitational hosted by the College of Southern Idaho.

Despite being without starting forward Simun Loncar, SPSCC held their own against the National JUCO opponent by relying on their trademark stout defense and rebounding. The Clippers' rebounding advantage was slim in the first half—outrebounding the Spartans by just one—but SPSCC generated six offensive rebounds, which led to six second-chance points. Jeremiah Lewis led the charge with 13 first-half points, including 12 in the paint. Despite being undersized, SPSCC valued good shot selection and consistent paint touches, which would pay off later in the game.

The Clippers and Spartans exchanged baskets to open the second half, and the Spartans extended their lead to 47–40 with 17:14 remaining. SPSCC responded with eight unanswered points to take a one-point lead with 13:32 left. Much of the second-half scoring landed on the shoulders of sophomores Jamaal Elliott and Jeremiah Lewis, who contributed 10 and 11 second-half points, respectively. SPSCC's commitment to finding high-quality shots and attacking the offensive glass paid off as CNCC failed to connect on several high-difficulty attempts, allowing the Clippers to expand their lead. SPSCC finished with 52 of their 72 points coming in the paint and outrebounded the Spartans by 11 en route to a 72–62 victory over the NJCAA program.

The win marks the first SPSCC men's basketball victory over an NJCAA opponent in program history.